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Mar 09, 2014

When women break stereotypes, they show the way

Recently, Bollywood saw the release of two movies where the story centers around women protagonists. In a way, the timing was well coordinated around International Women’s Day 2014. And the audience isn’t complaining. In a rare, refreshing departure from soapy, melodramatic sagas, both movies are travelogues that capture the coming of age of two nubile girls and their discovery of life beyond the bondages and hypocrisies of society.

Last week, Cate Blanchett won the Oscars for her role in ‘Blue Jasmine’. Back in India, Kangana Ranaut and Aliya Bhatt, the two leading ladies of their films – ‘Queen’ and ‘Highway’ have turned in spectacular performances that could pit them against each other for the coveted national award for best actress. While Kangana plays a simpleton dumped by her fiancée a day before marriage, Aliya plays the stifled daughter of a rich industrialist who is kidnapped by a killer.

Both characters end up making choices that go against conventions and are seemingly incomprehensible to their families. And no, neither of them are feminists.

Women can think for themselves and contribute to society without making it a battle of the genders. The war has to be against prejudices and to conquer the feeling of shame and guilt for standing up for the right thing.

From East to West, the struggle is for women to be recognized as equal partners and not multi-utility commodities. The good news is that a lot of men are now listening!